One Winged Alicorn
by KageShunketsu
Summary: The Elements of Harmony have released a new evil into Equestria with the blame falling on Princess Twilight Sparkle. This unholy demon takes on the form of an alicorn and calls himself Gray Umbra. Gray plans to tip the scales of the natural order between chaos and harmony and it is up to Twilight and her friends to once more band together to save Equestria, this time from the One W
1. Homeward Bound

Chapter 1

"Diplomacy _still_ doesn't seem to be your forte my dear," Princess Celestia pensively stated to the smaller lavender hued alicorn trotting next to her. Twilight Sparkle was still mulling over the words that the griffon and the Saddle Arabian pony had shared with each other out on the floor. She didn't think that her comment was too out of place. After all it only made sense to give a Saddle Arabian their fair share of griffon quills for an equal amount of gems, although she could have worded 'stinking griffon' a little differently.

"I'm sorry Princess," Twilight finally replied after realizing Celestia had been speaking to her. "I just couldn't stand their awful bickering anymore. I wasn't thinking when I opened my mouth."

"I think there was more to it than that," Celestia replied straightening Twilight's crown. Twilight's wings flustered at the gesture, and she red-facedly folded her wings back into place.

"Argh! Stupid things. Still not used to them," she muttered lowly. Her small outburst warranted a laugh from the solar princess and the two continued to trot down one of the many regal halls Canterlot's royal castle had housed.

"I would like to add to your comment Princess Sparkle," Celestia said then as they rounded a corner and headed into a larger hall.

"Yes, go ahead Princess," Twilight said, a little hesitant to hear what her superior had to say about her already fluked statement.

"I know you told me that thought was absent from your mind when you spoke, but that usually implies that it has been focused on something else. So I ask, what troubles you Twilight?"

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at Celestia's intuitiveness. Even after the many years of being her pupil, Celestia's perception never failed to surprise the purple pony every now and then.

"I'm not entirely sure Princess Celestia. It's just that, I have this empty feeling inside of me sometimes." Twilight diverted her path away from the velvet carpet and looked out of one of the windows in the current hall she stood in. Her eyes grazed Canterlot swiftly, but then fell upon the distant buildings of a very familiar place. "I wonder, if it has anything to do with Ponyville," Twilight said then moving away from the window.

"I see. You are homesick?" Celestia inquired.

"How can I be homesick? Canterlot was where I was raised. Besides, I couldn't remain there and keep my duties as a princess of Equestria. _You_ knew that I needed to move back in order to learn all that there was to being a princess," Twilight explained. Celestia did not respond this time. Instead, she smiled warmly and continued walking.

"The duties of being a princess go beyond royal summits and financial stability of one's nation my little pony," Celestia said as she motioned Twilight into the small study they had regularly occupied in the evening.

"Well, what more is there than just making sure my subjects are happy?" Twilight asked.

"Twilight!" Spike's voice cried out suddenly. The baby dragon jumped onto his friends back and hugged her neck. "Aw man, I'd thought you'd never get out of that meeting. I got bored listening to Owlicious's rendition of MareBeth."

"Well then, I'll leave you to your own purposes Princess Sparkle," Celestia said and turned away.

"Wait, Princess!" Twilight called out knocking Spike down. "Is that it? That's all we're doing today?"

"We sat through a whole diplomatic meeting and you and I discussed about the next Grand Galloping Gala earlier before along with Luna. I think we've done enough for one day Princess," Celestia said. Twilight embarrassingly agreed and Celestia left, shutting the doors behind her.

"So, what now?" Spike asked, awaiting a command from his princess. Twilight chuckled at his willingness to serve him and she motioned over to a large bookcase. Her horn lit up as she pulled a book down from one of the higher shelves and opened it an unmarked page.

"Alright then, you're going to help me master _this_ spell today," Twilight said cheerily. Spike enthusiastically pumped his fist into the air and ran off to collect the necessary materials. Twilight lowered the book and her head tilted slightly over her shoulder. Her eyes once more peered through the glass of a window and set itself upon the lush green of Equestria. Although distant, she could make out the small twirling of a windmill in the town of Ponyville and she once more felt a small tingle of uneasiness.

"Hey, Twilight, are you okay?" Spike said, snapping her out of her daze. Twilight looked over to her assistant, who was waiting for her command.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired is all," Twilight said reassuringly.

"More quills, Twilight?" the shopkeeper asked. Princess Sparkle examined her collection of writing utensils and shook her head.

"No, I think that will be all, thank you Fervor," Twilight said trotting out of the shop. She stepped onto the bust Canterlot road that wound down south east from the castle. This district held a lot of the shops and the more prestigious of book shops that Twilight regularly visited. As she trotted down the road, her eye caught the glances of several passerby ponies who did not bid her a good morning, or even a cheerful look.

"Good evening," Twilight called out to a couple walking by. They smiled out of respect and continued walking. Twilight stopped then and felt a little offended that they didn't even address her, let alone bow. "I know I'm not Celestia, but I _am_ a princess now. A little more respect would be nice," Twilight uttered under her breath.

As she looked around, it appeared that she just blended in with the crowd. There were a few who acknowledged her as Princess Sparkle, but not as much as she would have liked. Her coronation yielded much better results. Suddenly, Twilight felt ashamed then. She was asking for glory and honor, and coveting the role that Celestia had already given to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Princess Sparkle," a gruff voice said. Twilight had unknowingly bumped into a pair of royal guards patrolling the streets.

"No, I'm sorry, I should be watching where I'm going," Twilight said, allowing the guards to pass. She stopped then, and waited until they had gone a fair distance away, and activated a spell that allowed her to trace sound from far away. She caught the conversation between the two colts after a little fishing.

"It's still a little weird calling her Princess," one of the guards commented.

"I still can't believe it. Truth be told, I don't see why she _is_ a princess though," the other guard stated much to Twilight's dismay.

"I heard it had something to do with a spell," the other unicorn replied back.

"A spell? Celestia can create spells out of her flank, why does that make Twilight any more special?"

"Beats me. I just know she's now a princess in two realms. Shining Armor's sister, and newly proclaimed princess by Celestia herself."

"That sounds a little broken to me," one of the guards chuckled out. They both agreed, and Twilight dropped the spell.

She looked forlornly at Canterlot Castle and then at the capital itself. Her thoughts brooded with different claims and realizations, but she pushed them aside when a strong chill ran down her spine. Twilight forgot her worries about princess hood and stared out at Equestria below.

"There it is again," Twilight said to herself. When she came back from her thoughts, she had noticed that several ponies had stopped to take a look at what Princess Sparkle was doing. Twilight smiled awkwardly and hurried off back to the castle. The words of those two guards found their way back into Twilight's mind, and she wondered if maybe _that_ was the uneasiness she felt during the meeting earlier.

"You cannot sleep tonight Twilight Sparkle?" Twilight was at first startled by her visitor, but dropped her wings once Luna revealed herself. Twilight sighed and grudgingly folded her wings again, embarrassed at the fact that she still couldn't control that reaction.

"No, it doesn't seem that way Princess Luna," Twilight replied then, setting her gaze back on the moon. Luna sat down next to her and admired the shining sphere as well. She chuckled slightly and Twilight looked over wanting to know what exactly was so funny.

"I'm sorry. It's just that the sight you see before you was once my prison for a thousand years. It's a shame I could not see the beauty that it held all those years ago," Luna answered.

"But a thousand years ago, ponies weren't too keen on the night." Twilight looked at her with sincere eyes while she spoke. "Times have changed, and now it seems ponies everywhere cherish the moment. It's as if…the night gives them a chance to relax, and for some ponies a chance to party."

"You would know?" Luna asked rhetorically. Both princesses laughed and enjoyed the small breeze that chose to glide through Canterlot this night. However, Twilight could not enjoy the feeling for long, and she winced a little when that same chill from before seemed to infiltrate the gentle caress of nature's breath.

"You feel it too," Luna said gravely, more as affirmation than inquiry. Twilight's eyes found themselves staring at the stars now. They radiated brightly in the sky, but even their twinkling seemed to falter under some unseen force.

"There is something off about tonight. In fact, I've been feeling a little uneasy for a while now Princess Luna," Twilight explained, rubbing her foreleg slowly.

"It's almost as if I'm connected to it somehow," Luna said simultaneously along with Twilight. They both stared at each other and knew then this was no coincidence.

"I thought maybe it was because I was homesick, of Ponyville and that I missed my friends," Twilight confessed. Luna nodded slowly and smiled at the younger alicorn before her.

"Well, I wouldn't doubt that it has something to do with that. After all, your bond with those ponies is strong. It's unlike any magic I've ever encountered," Luna praised. "However, my suspicions have been confirmed, and I feel that maybe this is a force that shouldn't be left alone."

"Did you see Princess Celestia about this?" Twilight asked. Luna shook her head.

"Like you, I attributed the feeling to a different cause. This is proving to be more so than just simple feeling however."

"What do you suggest?" Twilight asked.

"I cannot abandon my post Twilight Sparkle. I am Princess of the Night. However, I think you would be suitable to investigate these intuitions of ours," Luna said. Twilight jumped back a little, startled at Luna's suggestion.

"W-what? Why me?" Twilight asked.

"As it were, you are the only princess who is not bound to any specific duty. And seeing as how you are under both the wing of my sister _and_ myself, I should find it acceptable that you undertake this task." Luna spoke very absolute, and held a little power in her voice. Twilight looked at the ground after she finished and then back to her other mentor.

"What about Princess Celestia?" she asked.

"My sister will understand, I am sure of it," Luna said, softening her glare then. She trotted closer to Twilight and smiled reassuringly. "Have faith Twilight Sparkle. I trust you to do this."

"I know Princess," Twilight began, smiling back. "It's just that your sessions with me seem a little more hooves-on than one would like," Twilight said carefully.

"I see no better way to learn," Luna responded and lifted into the air. "Before you go, I recommend caution. If you haven't already perceived, this pressure is leaking out a most….malevolent force." Luna cast Twilight a concerned look, to which the young alicorn nodded in acknowledgement.

"I will be careful. I'll be back to let you and Princess Celestia know what I've discovered," Twilight said taking flight as well. She wobbled a bit before stabilizing and catching some wind.

"Are you sure it is so safe for you to fly?" Luna asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, I won't fly the whole way Princess," Twilight said. "I just want some more practice in. Also, no carriage runs this late in the evening and I'd rather not make a grand appearance to wherever it is I'm headed."

"Have you not been practicing these past three months?" Luna wondered then. "My flying lessons are not for one to sleep in."

"I have, just not as much as I'd like," Twilight said quickly. She performed a few loops in the air and maintained a hovering position to show Luna that she at least had basics down. Luna chuckled lightly and flew off then, bidding Twilight one final good-bye.

"Alright Twilight, you got this," she said to herself and began her quest. The night air rushed past her cheeks as she soared through the darkness of the sky. The moon and stars lit her path for her, casting her shadow on the ground startling a few night creatures occasionally. Halfway into her journey, she stopped suddenly and landed on a small rock formation in the middle of a field.

"Darn it, I forgot to tell Spike where I'm headed," she said. After a few moments, Twilight smiled, and began concentrating her magic. Her horn lit up and enveloped her with a pink cloud. "Spike, this is Twilight. I won't be there when you wake up buddy, Princess Luna sent me on a mission and I felt that I had to go. Don't worry though, I'll be back soon. Stay out of trouble okay?"

When Twilight had finished her message, she condensed the pink cloud into a small cumulus and blew the spell away.

"He's going to love that the dream spell works now, I almost forgot to show him," Twilight giggled and took flight once more.

She began flying southward for some reason, as she had originally when she first departed Canterlot. She couldn't explain the feeling, but something was drawing her closer and closer to Ponyville. Was that where the malevolent force was coming from? Hardly. But Twilight did not alter her course. It would be good to see her friends again after so long. They had sent letters to each other and visited one another periodically, but to be honest, Twilight couldn't remember a time when they all hung out after her alicorn ascension.

"Well, I suppose Ponyville is our first stop then," Twilight said, her body filling with mixed emotions of elated joy and sickening worry. She grew tired of these feelings however, and when she could see Ponyville clearly decided to teleport for the remainder of the trip there.


	2. The Arrival

Chapter 2

Twilight's hooves softly crunched on the ground as she traversed the quiet and empty streets of Ponyville. Her arrival at such a late hour seemed fitting, given that nopony was even expecting her to come in the first place. She took delight in the fact that she avoided the manic fanfare and possible tears of her return. Twilight raised her wings into the air to lift off again, but suddenly halted her motions and slowly folded her appendages back into place.

"Three months, and you're not even going to say hello?" Twilight whispered to herself, looking around. She stood in the middle of town, a few steps in front of the decorative town hall. Taking a closer look, Twilight's investigation led her to assume some sort of celebration took place.

"I didn't even notice. I wasn't told," Twilight said to herself examining the streamers that lightly flowed in the calm breeze. A smile formed over her face after she held the piece of fabric in her hoof. "That's Rarity's cloth for sure. However, this layout just screams Pinkie Pie," Twilight concluded.

She decided to fly once more, but not away from her old home. Instead, Twilight's next stop was the darkened and silent Sugarcube Corner. The young alicorn's eyes flitted up to the window of Pinkie Pie, and Twilight exhaled slowly.

"You always could make me laugh, and I'm happy for that. I miss your shenanigans Pinkie." Her horn emanated with a magical aura and combined with her breath. The lavender mist sparkled brightly and floated above into the window, seeping through the cracks and intruding Pinkie's room. Twilight however, was sure she would enjoy the gift.

"Well, it's not fair that she should be the only one to get a present," Twilight said then and took to the air. Her course set for Rarity's boutique. Twilight floated up to the second story and peered through the window. Rarity was hidden in her covers, but her work was on full display, open for the world (if everypony could fly) to see.

"I still keep your dresses Rarity. I don't wear them too often, but that's because I'd rather not get them dirty. Thank you for your generosity my friend," Twilight said and performed the same spell she used earlier.

Twilight landed now in front of the gate leading into Sweet Apple Acres. From the road, she could see the many barrels of apples that the apple family had filled up, as well as the ones waiting for their turn. A single light remained on, which puzzled Twilight, but she did not leave yet.

"Applejack. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better friend. It's a shame we don't get to hang out as often now and days." Twilight performed her dream spell again and promptly left. Even if AJ was awake, she would get the message when she chose to lie down.

"Fluttershy, how I've missed you so," Twilight said as she landed outside of her cottage. Fluttershy lived quite a distance from Ponyville; her home rested on the outskirts some, dangerously close to Everfree. It was a little ironic that Fluttershy chose to nestle in such a place given her nature. Twilight's touchdown had stirred some sleeping rodents nearby, but she made sure to hush them with a slight gesture of her wing. The creatures squeaked compliantly and returned to bed.

"It was because of your kindness that we were always able to stick close together. Thank you," Twilight said and repeated her earlier process.

As Twilight flew back to Ponyville, she began wondering what exactly she was doing. Well, her mission was to investigate the mysterious source of this malevolent feeling, but that didn't necessarily prompt a farewell of sorts to her friends did it? Now that she thought about it, Twilight found herself acting out of blindness again. She hadn't been thinking the entire time she was sending these sweet dreams.

"Too late to stop now," Twilight said as she hovered outside of Rainbow Dash's cloud villa. "You were always so loyal Rainbow. I feel kind of bad knowing that we left on ill terms. For what it's worth, I haven't forgotten you, nor do I plan to." She performed her spell one last time and waited a little outside of Rainbow's home before gliding away.

Twilight prepared to depart from Ponyville then, hoping to one day come back for a visit that didn't require princess-like duties. As she continued her flight, her form stopped in mid-air and stared at the old large tree that sported a very familiar and homely sign. Twilight descended again, and brushed off the small amount of dust that layered on the library's sign post.

"Wow, feels like ages," Twilight said and entered. As soon as the door opened, the aged aroma of dusty papers and unused quills wafted through the air and tickled Twilight's nostrils. She was led in by the scent that had attracted her so much in her earlier days as a simple unicorn.

"Neat, and tidy; exactly as I left them," Twilight commented looking at her bookshelves and the rolls of parchments within small cubby holes. "Nopony comes in here anymore. What a shame," Twilight said trotting upstairs. She found her bed, empty of sheets and pillow, but neatly tucked and ready for sleep. A yawn escaped Twilight's mouth and she wearily looked out of her bedroom window.

"So late…maybe I can spend the night, and leave in the morning," she concluded. The moon still sat a good distance in the sky, but she knew it would not for much longer. Rather than deprive herself of rest, she decided to settle in, grabbing some spare sheets and pillow from nearby. "All I need… is a few… hours," Twilight told herself, lulling in and out of sleep. Finally, she knocked out.

"…light," a voice called out from the darkness. "Twi…light…Twilight, Twilight!" The voice became louder, more obtrusive and eventually the whole world began to shake. Twilight opened her eyes with a start, and found herself shifting up and down violently. What she perceived as an earthquake at first turned out to be something a little less alarming.

"Pinkie…Pie, good morning," Twilight said still half asleep. Her eyes jolted awake along with the entirety of her body as she found herself suddenly within the grasp of Pinkie's forelegs.

"Oooooh Twilight! You didn't tell us you were coming to visit!" Pinkie Pie shouted jubilantly, swinging her friend to and fro. Twilight gasped for air and was rescued by Applejack shortly after she turned blue.

"Now, now Pinkie Pie, no need to wrangle up Twilight like that. Though I reckon' she was askin' for it," Applejack chuckled winking at Twilight. The purple alicorn caught her breath and laughed a little before hugging the orange pony before her. "Seriously Twilight, some warnin' woulda been nice," Applejack said.

"I'm sorry. To be honest, all of this was sort of on the fly. I came here to-" Twilight began, but was cut off by another pony's embrace. This time, an alabaster pony with a beautifully tamed violet mane made her presence known.

"Twilight my dear, it's been too long! We've all missed you _so_ much!" Rarity shouted squeezing a little. Twilight chuckled off her new captor and backed up to get some room.

"I know Rarity, I've missed you girls too. But listen, I need to tell you something," Twilight said, shifting her tone.

"Oh, um, I hope I'm not interrupting anything…" Fluttershy said then, trotting into the library. Everypony turned to face the meek pegasus and welcomed her into the throng. "Twilight, I had the most wonderful dream about you. Oh, but not like that, I mean…" Fluttershy sputtered out fumbling her words. Twilight stopped her before she could continue.

"It's okay, I know what you mean Fluttershy. I'm just happy to see you too," Twilight said.

"You're _just_ happy? I'm bouncing off of the walls here!" Pinkie Pie shouted bounding up and down.

"Yes, I know, but I need you girls to listen, please!" Twilight said more persistently now. Everypony huddled up, curious as to what she had to say.

"I know it's been a long time since I've seen you all, and while this is fun and all, I came here for more important matters. I don't why I landed in Ponyville first but…" Twilight stopped then, and searched for a face among the crowd of ponies before her, and found one to be lacking.

"Where's Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, suddenly thrown off track of what she even had to say.

"Oh, RD's around. Probably cloud bustin' which gets to me since she knows that you're here and all," Applejack answered.

"Yeah! I had a dream about you! A nice one, and you said some really nice things to me and we partied and I shared that with Applejack this morning who said she had a dream about you too, and then everypony said they dreamed about you, so I had this hunch that we should check the library, and here you were!"

"Are you quite finished?" Rarity asked, giving Pinkie an annoyed stare. The party pony nodded and smiled widely for her friends to see.

"Well, I wouldn't expect her to be too excited to see me," Twilight said stretching her limbs.

"Ya know, Rainbow Dash is just a little sensitive sometimes Twi. She'll come around," Applejack said supportively.

"So, you said you had something important to tell us?" Fluttershy peeped suddenly from the midst of things. Twilight's face displayed an abrupt change of countenance and she remembered why she had stopped by.

"You crazy ponies. You'll make me forget everything if I just stay with you," Twilight joked. She used her magic to grab the cushions that they would normally sit on and asked her friends to get comfortable. "Like I was saying," Twilight began, "I am here on official Canterlot business. It's nice to see you ponies, but I'm afraid I can't stay," Twilight finally was able to get out.

"What do you mean you can't stay?!" Rainbow Dash shouted standing in the doorway of Twilight's library.

"Dashie! You're here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed pulling her further inside. "Quick! Come say hi to Twilight before…she…wait! You can't leave, you just got here!" Pinkie Pie's face fell at the sudden realization. She let go of Rainbow and swiftly clung to Twilight.

"I'm sorry Pinkie, but I'm investigating something for Princess Luna. I only stopped here to rest," Twilight said, trying to convince herself that was why she had actually arrived. Her original intentions were set with doubt when she suddenly felt that odd pressure, now closer than ever.

Twilight trotted over to Rainbow Dash and smiled at her. The sky blue pegasus half-smiled back but walked past her and into the group of her friends.

"I thought maybe you'd wanna chill or something because you're in town," Rainbow said then, as if apologizing for her earlier outburst.

"That would be great, but I have this task I have to do first. Maybe if I finish early, I can come back. That is, if the princesses allow me to," Twilight said muttering now incoherently.

"Um, Twilight? I think you're going over an invisible schedule in your brain," Applejack said, waving her hoof in front of Twilight's eyes.

"Huh? Wha-Oh, sorry. It's just a habit now. Being a princess is busy work," Twilight said apologizing frankly.

"Well you can spare a few moments can't you? Tell me, how do the Canterlotians like my newest fashion line?" Rarity asked changing the subject.

"Okay, I guess? Look, I promise I'll have more time for you ponies, but right now-"

"You gotta leave huh?" Rainbow Dash finished. Twilight looked at her sorrowfully and nodded.

"You really can't stay any longer?" Fluttershy asked dejectedly from the side.

"One more day can't hurt," Applejack protested then, getting Twilight's attention.

"Please! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!" Pinkie Pie rambled.

"I'm sure the princesses won't mind. They have to understand if you choose to stay a little longer," Rarity pleaded as well. Twilight, now bombarded with the depressed expressions of her friends' faces sighed in defeat.

"How could someone say no to her friends whom she hasn't seen in forever? Thank you girls," Twilight said hugging them tightly. Everypony cheered in happiness and Twilight figured the princess would indeed understand. Maybe this was what she needed after all.

"Hold on, the troupe is not complete!" Rarity said with her hoof in the air. "Where is my Spikey Wikey?" she asked concernedly. Twilight rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"He's back in Canterlot. Though I'm sure he'll love to see you girls again," Twilight said relieving Rarity.

"You say that like he'll be here today," Rainbow Dash said a little confused. Twilight smiled playfully and nodded.

"How about right now?" she asked, summoning magic from her horn. A bright flash of light filled the room, and then standing in the center of the group was a very confused baby dragon.

"Huh? What?" Spike looked around puzzled at his sudden manifestation, but relaxed after catching sight of Twilight.

"Spike!" Rarity exclaimed gleefully and embraced him. Spike nearly melted from the hug, but regained his composure and hugged Rarity back.

"Rarity! Oh man it's great to see you again! Hey, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash! I guess I'm in Ponyville then?" Spike concluded peering around at the old library.

"You're right Spike. I brought you here," Twilight said proudly.

"Oh, I get it. You used the advanced version of the teleportation spell!" Spike revealed.

"Advanced version?" Rarity asked, still clutching the baby dragon.

"It works like my other one, but I can travel further distances. What's even better is that I can transport other things as well. It works a lot easier with live subjects, since I can feel their natural energy, but as long as I know the location of an object I can zip it to my location, and vice versa," Twilight explained in full.

"Whoa, that's awesome," Rainbow Dash said excitedly. "So it's like…an instant transmission! You don't even need to fly!"

"Well, it does use quite a bit of magic, so using it all the time isn't very resourceful. Not to mention, I have to concentrate really hard if I plan to travel longer distances than a few miles," Twilight said.

"I bet you could beat Rainbow Dash with that sort of speed!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"That's not speed Pinkie Pie, that's magic," Rainbow protested.

"She's right Pinkie. I wouldn't dream of using that if we were to ever race though," Twilight said to Rainbow.

"Hey, ya know yer last letter mentioned you'd show us some other spells you've been workin' on. How's about givin' them a go?" Applejack asked pumped with excitement.

"You want me to use all of my magic is that it?" Twilight asked sarcastically.

"Oh please, I would love to see that lullaby spell you told me about," Fluttershy said just then. "The way you described those falling feathers was simply amazing."

"Or how about you show us that spell that turns water into grape juice?" Applejack asked.

"Didn't you say there was a spell you discovered that **doubled** the size of whatever it was cast upon?" Rarity inquired then.

"Whoa! One pony at a time!" Twilight said. She paced a little, and thought hard about which one to perform first.

"Well, since they all know about those spells, how about one you didn't tell them about?" Spike suggested. Twilight's eyes lit up and she rubbed her assistant's head scales.

"That's why you're number one Spike," Twilight said and gathered her friends outside. The sun shone brightly in the sky, and the town now teemed with life. Birds and insects of all kinds went about their day, just as the many ponies of Ponyville did. Twilight's appearance caught the eyes of several ponies who gave an excited wave and a generous smile.

"Wow, everypony is so much nicer here. I guess I forgot how different the culture is in Canterlot from Ponyville," Twilight said to herself.

"Twi, that spell?" Applejack asked then.

"Huh? Oh yeah…right," Twilight said preparing herself.

"You seem to be a little distracted dear. Is everything alright?" Rarity asked before Twilight could summon any energy.

"Well, it's just that…you know its fine. I'm just reminiscing a lot this morning," Twilight lied, hoping she wouldn't have to concern her friends with her other business. Something seemed to be preventing her from telling them in the first place. It would be better to not endanger them she figured.

"So what exactly is Twilight doing?" Rainbow Dash asked nudging Spike in the shoulder.

"Oh, that's called _Harmonia_. We stumbled upon it in the Starswirl the Bearded section of the Canterlot archives. Supposedly, it's a form of magic that the Elements of Harmony are said to emit," Spike explained.

"Wow, and uh, has Twilight been able to master it?" Fluttershy asked. Spike turned in Twilight's direction and gave off a puzzled look.

"You know, I don't know why she chose to show that spell. I was actually thinking about the spell that turns me into a moustache-toting gentledragon, but I guess this works," Spike replied.

"Um, is that a no?" Fluttershy asked but was startled by a loud crack of magic.

"C'mon!" Twilight said, straining to release her magic correctly. Everypony backed away while she tried to perform this new spell, but at the apex of the activation, it stopped and instead resulted in a small fizzle of wasted magic.

"Not quite what I had in mind," Rainbow Dash said dully.

"On the plus side, it makes an excellent trick candle!" Pinkie Pie said putting out the small flame on Twilight's mane.

"I was sure I would get it this time," Twilight said disappointedly.

"This time? You mean you nearly blew up Canterlot more than once?" Applejack asked a little disturbed.

"You think maybe we need the actual Elements of Harmony to activate it?" Spike asked then. Twilight shook her head and sat down.

"The whole point of the spell is to not have to use the Elements Spike," Twilight said rather nonchalantly.

"Wait, a spell that works like the Elements of Harmony, _without_ the Elements of Harmony? How does that even work?" Rainbow Dash asked narrowing her brow and flying closer to the ground.

"Well, in theory…if I can harness the harmony from all around me in a natural environment, the energy should be able to flow naturally through me. This way, artificial harmony created by the Elements doesn't have to be used." Everypony gawked at Twilight's declaration.

"That is quite the spell indeed," Rarity said still awestruck by the concept of harnessing natural harmony.

"So then, what you're saying is that you won't need the Elements of Harmony anymore?" Fluttershy restated, yielding a nod from Twilight.

"So then, what you're saying is that you won't need _us_ anymore?" Rainbow Dash shot out spitefully.

"What the hay Rainbow Dash, nopony said that!" Applejack rebuked.

"Rainbow Dash, I can't believe you even said that," Twilight cried out defensively. "The Elements of Harmony are sacred relics to be used only in the most dire of circumstances, Don't you see, if I am able to perfect this spell, then we won't have to rely on them anymore."

"But those Elements are specific to us right? So in a sense, not using them is like abandoning our very friendship," Rainbow Dash argued, getting on Twilight's level.

"That's not true. The Elements do not determine our relationships. We do," Twilight said back a little more incensed.

"Umm, can we stop the yelling please?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"Hey ya'll, listen to Fluttershy. We're friends okay? It's alright to have a little spat every now an' then, but we gotta work through it together now, ya hear?" Applejack said coming in between Rainbow and Twilight.

"I bet the Elements don't even work anymore," Rainbow Dash grumbled under her breath.

"Why would you say that? Are you implying something?" Twilight responded.

"Maybe, not that you would care," Rainbow spat back.

"Spike, go get the Elements so Rainbow here can see there's nothing to worry about. They're in the library basement, in the chest." Spike quickly obeyed, running off pretty relieved to be out of the ensuing mess.

"I'm not worried, you're the one freaking out right now," Rainbow argued.

"Why are you acting like this?!" Twilight suddenly yelled out pushing Applejack aside.

"Acting like what? You're the one being a pompous jerk and flaunting your princess hood all around Canterlot!" Rainbow shouted back.

"I am not! I'm trying to learn how to become a princess so I can lead Equestria as well as I led you girls!"

"Now I said quit it!" Applejack shouted squeezing between both ponies again. "Rainbow, its Twilight's first time here in ages and we don't need anypony screwin' it up because of past hurt!" Applejack then turned to Twilight and gave her the very same look. "And you Ms. Princess, you may have more responsibilities and obligations than before, but we're your friends, first and foremost. I expected better from you than arguing with RD here."

Twilight looked at her friend's critical stare and sighed. She looked at Rainbow Dash with sorry eyes and backed away.

"You're right Applejack. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten defensive like that. I'm sorry Rainbow," Twilight said feeling more than awful for how she acted.

"Well, Rainbow, got anythin' ya wanna say?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too then. I just…overreacted is all. It's hot outside," Rainbow Dash said.

"Really, it's my fault. I need to tell you girls something. Before I came here, I sensed something foul moving in the wind. Not just me, but Princess Luna did as well. She just now sent me to investigate but I've been feeling this angst for a long time now." Twilight finished her explanation and took in a big breath. It felt a little good to get that off of her chest, but she still couldn't feel any peace.

"So that's why my TwiTwi isn't feeling so good?" Pinkie Pie said and hugged her friend. Twilight took comfort in her embrace for a little while, but left it to speak some more.

"So, that's the official Canterlot business. Now you girls know why I was in such a hurry to just leave." Nopony responded but Twilight wouldn't let them feel bad about it.

"It's not your faults, it's mine. And this responsibility falls on me. I don't want you girls to get hurt," Twilight said. The whimsical visit passed on, and Twilight's motion to stay seemed to move along with it. She had explained her reasoning, and nopony would stop her.

"Well, if that's how you feel, then we can respect that Twilight," Rarity said a little teary eyed.

"You don't have to do everything alone Sugar Cube," Applejack said. "This may be Canterlot Princess phooey, but our friend is involved, and so are we," Applejack said confidently. Twilight looked out to her friends who all gave her a reassuring smile. Even Rainbow seemed a little more lenient than before.

"Thank you girls. I'll remember that," Twilight said more to herself than to them. "But as is my duty as Princess Sparkle, I cannot allow harm to befall my friends. So I have to go without your help-"

"TWILIGHT!" Spike suddenly called out.

"The day's just blooming with interruptions," Pinkie Pie pointed out.

"Twilight, we have a problem. The Elements of Harmony…you have to…come on!" Spike sputtered in short gasps. Everypony ran back inside the library and down into the basement.

"What's the matter Spike," Twilight asked, looking around for any immediate danger.

"It's here!" Spike said out of breath, hanging on Rarity's leg.

Twilight trotted over to the opened chest and recognized the engravings around the linings. This was the right chest, so what was the problem? Twilight peered into the box and her face contorted in terror.

"The Elements…they're…"

"They're colorless!" Applejack screamed in shock.

"No, my precious Element of Harmony has turned into this nasty shade of gray!" Rarity cried out.

"Wh-why are they like that?" Fluttershy asked, picking one of them up. The entire relic remained the same in design and shape. The jewel still felt very real and the form was perfect, but there was no life in the Elements whatsoever.

"Do they…still work?" Rainbow Dash asked cautiously. Twilight gasped and reached for her crown. She pulled it off of her head and examined it, but it still remained intact in both form and pigment.

"Well, my crown seems okay. Maybe…maybe it's just a resting state?" Twilight wondered examining one of the other Elements carefully.

"You think maybe cause we haven't used them in a while they're turning back into stone? Like when we first found em?" Applejack asked.

"No, I don't think so. The reason the Elements were turned to stone was because Celestia and Luna lost their connection to them. They lost…their harmony…" Twilight said slowly. She handed the element she had in hoof to Pinkie Pie who put it on promptly.

"It still feels okay." Pinkie observed twirling around a little.

"You think maybe we should try activating them Twilight?" Rarity asked placing hers on as well. Twilight considered the circumstances and realized that this must have been the ominous feeling from before.

"Yes. I have a feeling the Elements of Harmony were what caused my earlier feelings of angst. I can't believe I could feel it all the way from Canterlot," Twilight said, marveling at the awesome mysteriousness of the six jeweled relics.

"Well, yer crown is one of em," Applejack replied.

"So maybe, my crown was crying out to the other Elements? I suppose we'll see," Twilight said a little apprehensively.

"Let's move it outside maybe? I don't want to have to clean up before I set up for Twilight's I-fixed-the-Elements-of-Harmony party." Pinkie Pie said happily. Everypony chuckled at her humor given the situation and agreed. Spike followed behind, worried for Twilight and his friends.

"Be careful okay?" he said to Twilight after tugging her tail.

"Hey, it's me we're talking about," Twilight said gently. She circled up with her friends and awaited everyone's signal to begin. "Alright girls, activate your Elements. We're going to see if we can't fix this," Twilight commanded.

Everypony shut their eyes and began to unite in harmony. Twilight activated her spark, causing the rest of the Elements to activate in turn, emanating the strange light that they always produce when working together. A swirl of colorful aura hummed around the levitating ponies and Twilight began to feel the magic surging from within her. The air around them whipped about wildly, turning over light obstacles and causing nearby buildings to shake.

A few ponies unsure of what was going on fled from the area and watched a safe distance away. All they could make out was their new princess and some other ponies activating the Elements of Harmony for some reason. As the team finally reached the point of activation, Twilight meant to power down the magic, but felt a strange sensation jolt through her.

"Wait…something's not right!" she cried out in mid-trance. The spell began to take a violent turn, whipping up stronger winds and picking up larger chunks of debris. The sky above began to darken and the ground shook tremendously.

"Twilight…what's going on?" Spike yelled out dodging a few flying chairs. Ponyville citizens began fleeing further away, avoiding the rainbow storm that was manifesting in front of the library.

"It's going to collapse!" Twilight shouted out. She could not control it anymore, and the magic began to warp. Instantly, it collapsed within itself and burst, breaking up the party of ponies and spreading the collected debris it had managed to pick up. The shockwave spread throughout the entire town, knocking many ponies off of their hooves and disturbing some settlements.

"What in tarnation?" Applejack yelled out in pain. The aftermath had upset the ground around them and the Elements were scattered about.

"Twilight, what the heck? How come that happened?" Rainbow Dash asked removing a large piece of earth from her mane.

"I don't know…" Twilight replied back tiredly. She examined the area and counted all of her friends. She then looked out at Ponyville and bit her lip. "Whoops, that's going to come back to bite me," she said lowly. Several houses had suffered some damage, and many carts and market stalls were upset due to the freak windstorm. The villagers began to clean up, but not before casting a disapproving glare towards the six ponies responsible for the mess.

"Twilight, what happened? It looked like you girls had it, but then I saw you flinch in pain and then it all went south from there," Spike said.

"It's hard to explain," Twilight said, removing her crown. "It was almost as if…the Elements were in pain."

"What?! That's ridiculous. They're not alive silly," Pinkie Pie said from under a pile of strewn about leaves.

"I know that. But I also know what I felt," Twilight said sternly. She then looked at her crown and consequently yelled in surprise, chucking it away.

"What now?" Spike asked, running over to the crown. "Oh no." The words just rolled out of his mouth. "Your crown…it's like the rest of the Elements now."

"That's not the worst part…" Twilight said. She trotted over to the baby dragon and pointed out a large fissure within the jewel. It ran up along the edge and penetrated the Element of Magic in the middle with a single menacing crack.

"You thought that was bad?" Spike suddenly said. Twilight followed his claw and noticed the other despondent Elements lying broken on the floor.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…the Elements of Harmony are shattered!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What?!" Rainbow Dash yelled out rushing over to her Element. She picked it up and examined it. Her reflection split into several obscure Rainbow Dashes, each holding the very same irritated look. "They don't work anymore?"

"No, that's impossible!" Rarity shouted as she galloped over to her Element. "First it loses its sheen and now it shatters?! This goes beyond a fashion problem Twilight."

"Yeah, what do we do without the Elements of Harmony? Does that mean our friendship isn't true anymore?" Pinkie Pie asked sadly.

"Of course not," Fluttershy interjected then. "Oh, sorry, but I don't think this means our friendship is over or even tainted. We just need to go to Princess Celestia about this."

"Way to use your head Fluttershy," Applejack complimented to the blushing pegasus.

"Okay. It's safe to say that this was the cause of Princess Luna's angst as well as mine. I didn't think I'd find it so quickly," Twilight commented. She gathered the Elements and levitated them with her magic. "Alright girls, I'm going to go back to Canterlot with the Elements. You ponies should stay and help clean up our mess," Twilight suggested.

"It's your mess too," Rainbow commented. Applejack nudged her roughly, to which Rainbow just rolled her eyes. "I mean, yes Your Highness." She received another nudge.

"Quit it!" Applejack snapped.

"I was only joking, geez!" Rainbow said.

"Girls, not again…" Twilight said about to intervene until the Elements of Harmony began to act up. Twilight dropped them, burned somehow by some dark force.

"Oww! What the…" Twilight dropped her spell and the Elements clattered about. They began to seep a dark smoke, at first slowly, but then more rapidly and forcefully.

"That isn't normal…is it?" Spike asked.

The rising smoke gathered in the air, forming a dark cloud over Ponyville. Twilight felt that cold chill again and trembled. The smoke finally ceased its hissing and gathered into one large cloud. The shapeless shadow began to mold itself, shrinking in size and gaining form. The mass hardened, and began to form what seemed to be a set of hooves. The clouded darkness solidified even further, revealing the outline of large wings, flared to their full span sprouting from the back of what was clearly being defined as a pony.

The shadow began to fade, making way for this thing's facial features and body details. A slight mist remained, surrounding the gray coated pony still floating in the air. His glossy silvery mane blinded the six ponies below and hung long, past his shoulders and over a dark, spikey breastplate. Dark purple crystals protruded from his shoulder blades and his circlet sported the very same design of spiked crystals.

The final details that awed the six friends below remained in this being's wings, and his malevolently tattooed horn. The creature finally caught sight of the figures below him and scanned the floor with his piercing yellow glare. His wings; one decoratively painted in white soft feathers and the other, wicked and craggy, devoid of feathers and instead sporting horrendously filed scales began to beat against the air.

"An alicorn…" Twilight said fearfully enthralled. The nearby ponies all stopped to stare at this new creature as well. The gray-coated alicorn landed on the ground, shaking the earth under his tremendous pressure. His face held no visible sign of emotion, and his eyes ripped right through one's soul. Twilight mustered up as much strength as she could to address this alicorn, but still felt weak under the amount of power that exuded from him.

"Who are you? How were you inside the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight asked. The beast shifted his scan to lock on to Twilight, and she nearly wet herself from the sudden glare.

"Who am I?" he responded slowly. His voice was flat, deep and absent of any passion. It was almost as if his very voice could suck out one's life force. "I suppose…Gray Umbra will suffice, don't you think?"

Twilight couldn't understand why this alicorn was asking her such a question. Gray continued, "To answer the latter part of your inquiry, it was by your doing that I ended up in there. Personally, I find it…amusing…that I should even get to address myself as such."

"I-I don't understand…"Twilight said still trembling in fear. Gray Umbra brayed loudly, startling the six ponies before him. He trotted closer to Twilight so that his form could loom over her. His entire shadow consumed her frame and he peered down at the helpless mare before him.

"You created me," he finally said and continued to stare down the Equestrian princess.


End file.
